Darryl Mount Jr. of Malta would still be alive if police were not reckless in a foot pursuit of him 8½ months ago, his mother said Tuesday in an emotional interview just hours after her son died.

Mount, who had been bedridden since the Aug. 31 downtown chase, stopped breathing around 1 a.m. Tuesday in his family's home, said Patty Jackson of Malta. Her 22-year-old never recovered from crippling head injuries sustained in an apparent fall while trying to elude six city police officers, and he recently developed pneumonia in his right lung, she said.

"He fought, we fought," Jackson said.

The official cause of death was not available Tuesday, but observers said Mount's death left unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding his injuries.

Police Chief Gregory Veitch has said six police officers chased Mount into an alley off Broadway about 3 a.m. Aug. 31 after trying to arrest him for allegedly pushing a woman's head into a wall on Caroline Street. In the alley, police said, Mount climbed construction scaffolding and fell 20 feet. He was found unresponsive on the pavement.

Police say they acted appropriately, but the chase has been the subject of protests and requests for an outside investigation of the police department. Mount's family has filed a notice of claim, a precursor to a potential lawsuit, accusing police of inflicting the injuries that led to Mount's death.

"I'm alleging somebody is hiding something," Jackson said Tuesday. "My son would be in jail right now, not dead" if police conducted themselves responsibly, she said.

Veitch issued a statement Tuesday. "The Saratoga Springs Police Department has learned that Daryl Mount Jr. passed away this early this morning," Veitch wrote. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time."

Public Safety Commissioner Chris Mathiesen has said there is "incontrovertible" evidence that police officers did not cause or contribute to Mount's injuries. Mathiesen has resisted calls for an outside agency to investigate what happened and for the formation of a police review board.

Citing an ongoing investigation, the city has declined to release video that purportedly shows the officers running after Mount but not what occurred in the alley.